New Delhi: During India’s Operation Sindoor, especially on 7 May, Pakistan may have used NATO aerial tactics learnt from the Chinese, who in turn were taught by former Western air force pilots and operators that Beijing had clandestinely hired over the last several years.
The possibility has raised concern at multiple levels, both in India and the western world, ThePrint has learnt.
According to sources in the know, one of the many tactics used by the NATO countries when it comes to air force, especially in air-to-air scenarios, is where one aircraft launches a missile, while another provides guidance.
This tactic is known as the “launch-and-leave”, where the aircraft launching the missile remains cold and turns hot only when it is about to fire the missile.
Sources explained that after launching the missile, the aircraft manoeuvres away to avoid any enemy fire. The missile is then taken over by another aircraft, which is equipped with more advanced radar or targeting systems. It is the second aircraft that guides the missile to the target, a tactic that allows one to target the enemy at long distances or in a heavy air defence environment.
It was the Chinese who developed this tactic, and have designed their weapon systems along the lines, sources said. It is believed that the Chinese J-10s that Pakistan operates and the Swedish Saab 2000 Erieye, an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft, are capable of undertaking such operations, they further explained.
They said that the Chinese have taught Pakistan this tactic. Asked how the Chinese have been able to copy NATO tactics, sources explained that China has been clandestinely hiring foreign pilots and operators, especially from the Five Eyes countries—Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and the US.
Way back in 2022, the UK defence ministry had said that former British military pilots were being lured to China with large sums of money to pass on their expertise to the Chinese military. Up to 30 former UK military pilots are thought to have gone to train members of China’s People’s Liberation Army.
According to a report published in Der Spiegel in 2023, several former Luftwaffe pilots have been training the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) pilots over the past decade. The report had quoted unnamed German security officials as saying that it is “very possible that the pilots have passed on military expertise and confidential operational tactics, and even practiced attack scenarios, such as an offensive against Taiwan.”
In 2024, the US and its intelligence partners had warned that China is working to recruit current and former Western military pilots and other service members to help strengthen Chinese air power and gain insights into Western aviation tactics.
“China’s (PRC) People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to target current and former military personnel from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nations and other Western countries to help bolster the PLA’s capabilities,” a joint bulletin put out by the US and its Five Eyes partners had said. It added that the PLA is using private companies in South Africa and China to hire former fighter pilots from Canada, France, Germany, the UK, Australia, the US, and other Western nations to train PLA Air Force and Navy aviators.
“The PLA wants the skills and expertise of these individuals to make its own military air operations more capable while gaining insight into Western air tactics, techniques, and procedures. The insight the PLA gains from Western military talent threatens the safety of the targeted recruits, their fellow service members, and US and allied security,” the security warning had said.
It had added that poaching Western military expertise enables the PLA to advance its air capabilities, improve planning for future operations, and better counter Western military strategies, all to the detriment of the US, its partners and allies, and their service members.
“The most sought-after targets to-date have been military pilots, flight engineers, and air operations center personnel. The PRC has also targeted technical experts with insight into Western military tactics, techniques, and procedures. Western recruits who train the PLA may increase the risk of future conflict by reducing our deterrence capabilities and put their military colleagues at risk in such a conflict,” the bulletin had said.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
Also Read: Indian firm sets up titanium, superalloy plants to meet global need. Safran, Dassault, BAE line up